While many high school students look for jobs, many forget about the advantages of an internship. Internships can provide valuable experience and connections that the jobs available to teenagers cannot. Most internships occur during summer break, so if you don’t have anything planned for the summer, it’s a great time to gain exposure to a work environment and something interesting to put on your college resume.
Living near New York City, students at Ridgewood High School have access to a plethora of internships around the city. New York City museums have great programs for high school students to participate in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a teen summer internship. Interns spend their time observing, assisting, and being mentored by a staff member in one of the Museum’s various departments. Applications for the program open February 1, 2020.
During the school year the famous Guggenheim art museum also offers a program for teens. Guggenheim Teens assist families at the Museum’s Family Activity Kiosk and facilitate gallery activities in Open Studio programs. Throughout the year, they also participate in a series of workshops to learn more about working in a museum setting. Applications for the 2020-2021 school year will open spring 2020.
If you’re more interested in history than art, the New York Historical Society offers a summer session for their student historian internship program. Participants meet with professional staff to learn more about careers in the museum, library, and history fields. Applications for the summer session open in the spring of 2020.
Jobs available to teenagers are pretty limited, but internships are a way to gain valuable experience at well-known organizations. The process of applying for an internship is also helpful when applying to college and jobs. Interning at a prestigious establishment also allows you to set yourself apart from other students and learn new skills.
Allison Hong
Arts & Culture Editor
Graphic: Ava Haberman